Man arrested for failing to register as sex offender

A local convicted sex offender was being held on $2,500 bond after his arrest for allegedly failing to register.

A local convicted sex offender was being held on $2,500 bond after his arrest for allegedly failing to register.

Christopher Michael Garoutte, 31, faces a single count of the charge after actions alleged to have occurred in May.

According to the case’s probable cause affidavit, due to his status as a level three sex offender Garoutte is required to register his whereabouts every 90 days or every time there is a change in his residency. According to Oklahoma Department of Corrections records, Garoutte received a 10-year suspended sentence in 2002 for second-degree rape in Washington County.

Authorities say the last time Garoutte registered was on March 13, at which time he was staying at a house in the 400 block of Woodrow Avenue. Police say Garoutte then later came into the Bartlesville police station, telling them that he thought he was going to be evicted from the residence around the June 10. He was told at that time that he would have to come back three days prior to any move and inform officers of where was moving to, according to the affidavit.

He later reportedly told officers on June 12 that he was living at a residence in the 500 block of Highland Drive.

When asked why he did not alert police three days prior to his moving, Garoutte reportedly claimed that he had lost the officer’s contact information.